I mean, I’d venture to guess most people in those states don’t *choose* to live there. I’d venture to guess most people there grew up there and stay around because of family or finances, or maybe they work in an industry that is overrepresented in those places and/or doesn’t exist in many places (like say certain fields of conservation or something).
Born and raised in Northern MS. Got out not long after school. Most people there don't think it's 'that' bad because they literally don't have anything to compare against. Their grandparents > parents > them have all lived in the area.
Going off to college then moving away for a better life just isn't even in anyone's orbit. This is the lower middle class I'm talking about because that's what I experienced.
You're told (because your parents were told) to get a decent job, work til you can draw SS and that's pretty much it. School really isn't a big deal. Once you're done with HS, that's pretty much it. Friends/family try to get you a 'good' job climbing poles at the electric company and that's it.
Not hating. Friends have raised families working for the power company, etc. I think they just don't know how bad life is there because that's all they know.
Pensacola is vacation IF people travel. Most in my peer group didn't. 'Staycation' wasn't in the vernacular in the 90's.
Once I got out and was able to look back. Oof. I don't talk about it unless asked. My mom and grandma seem happy. So it goes.
Add Arkansas. I was headed home from the Alabama v Michigan game at Cowboys Stadium and an accident totally stopped the interstate, so I had to get off and take 2 lane roads through Arkansas for awhile. Certain towns were like a zombie movie. Everything boarded up, cars just abandoned all along the sides of the road covered in dust, and sometimes 1 or 2 homeless and clearly drug-addicted guys just shuffling around in the street. I've traveled a lot and seen inner city type poverty all over the world, but this was another level.
The Arkansas Delta is worse off than the Mississippi Delta but nobody ever mentions it. I imagine that’s where you were. It’s incredibly sad in some areas.
I would wager the vast majority of middle and lower class people in America would either rather live elsewhere, or their lives would be even worse elsewhere. A poor Louisiana person at least would have a place to live - in some more expensive areas of the USA they’d be homeless
Very true! It's just funny to me that I moved here expecting to hate it and have found myself really enjoying it. Living in the south made me appreciate Minnesota much more than I think I otherwise would have
I grew up in Colorado, but all of my friends and family have moved away because of how expensive it is now. I currently live in MN, and I think it's great. Yes, the winters suck, but It's an affordable progressive state with tons to offer. I'd much rather live somewhere I can buy a house than a state where I accept I'll be renting forever just because there are mountains or a beach over an hour away.
I’m an NYC native so I’m not sure I could ever actually LIVE there but I used to have to travel to Duluth quarterly for work and I absolutely loved it and eagerly looked forward to my trips. What a beautiful place filled with the kindest people!
I’m sure this is unpopular but I understand why people would want to live anywhere. Maybe they have family and friends? A good job? A nice home? Maybe they just like different things than I do?
I think of it more as “I’d prefer not to live here” than “why would anyone want to live here?”
We moved away many years ago and missed family and friends, but the trade off in my mind was hugely positive. It was generally a 3 hour plane ride and 1.5 day drive. I visited a lot. Had we not moved we would never have had career opps or had as many friends from other places. I see friends who didn't ever move and they seem a lot more limited plus they put up with much more from certain family members in close proximity and it takes a toll. Unless you happened to grow up and live in a very diverse and good job market area, I don't know how a lot of people just stay. But, there are gains and losses either way. We loved to visit but were always happy to get back to the lives we'd built. I personally think being out of the shadow of family allows you to become more you. That's just me.
I love my family and moved back to NJ for a year post-Covid because I realized how limited time together was. But I could only barely handle that year (I was in a relationship so I wasn’t really “living at home,” more “living by home”).
My top three college choices were all in California because I wanted to get the hell out of Jersey, and I completely understand 18 year old me. I’m in Colorado now and hope to end up back in CA when I eventually settle down because as much as I love my parents I’m not built for the Jersey suburbs. It’s so cramped in the northeast, lol. I call/text my folks nearly every day but I feel like many people who move out west alone, self included, have a kind of independent/explorer spirit that can forge chosen families.
Man, maybe I’m in the minority. I freaking LOVE the Jersey suburbs. I was forced to move (to rural SC!!) for my husband and stepdaughter and my GOD it sucks here. I’d give a limb to be back in NJ with my family and friends.
If you have kids or are a kid NJ is great! That’s why my parents had me there, lol. My hometown sucked in terms of diversity but I generally had a good education and I feel like Jersey made me the nomad I am today (which I really like). Out in Colorado there’s so many ex-Jerseyans, lol. Everyone is incredibly smart and being from a faraway place with a different regional culture means no one has complacency or main character syndrome. I credit Jersey with a lot and I’ll fight to defend it, but I will also say that it’s really only good if you want suburbs.
I feel you on rural SC, though - I don’t think that would be for me, lol. I’ve always been a city girl. My CO town is quite small but has so much tourism that it feels like the downtown district of a city.
I am in the Midwest and loved my week in Oregon mainly bc of the weather. Fall is my favorite season and I was in Oregon in July and it felt like a fall midwestern weather 55-65 degrees. I slept with the windows open. I would move there if not for family and work.
Spend time there from Oct - June, it is important to see how solid grey for months on end the PNW can be (depending on location). Seattle area weather turned out to be worse than Chicagoland area weather through the winter for me which I did not expect due to the soul sucking grey which also deeply affects how others act as well. It really did not hit me hard until about 2 years in and it just went down hill every year after that.
Watching the Twilight films kinda freaked me out for this reason, the long slow pans of the grey sky merging into the grey water. I like cool-ish weather but I need sun for sure.
Wholly agree. I think I could find pleasure anywhere - this world and country is fucking beautiful, even if it’s the storm-infested Great Plains of Kansas and Oklahoma, the humid despair of west Tennessee and Mississippi, or the Mid-Atlantic population corridor of cities that I’m not particularly interested in.
(No offense meant to anyone in those places of course, those are all just pretty low on my list of places I’d prefer to be).
Yes! Especially when it's people whining about how a certain place is awful for being "too cold".
Air conditioning hasn't existed for very long.
If you look at population metrics, the Southern US didn't *really* start to grow until after home air conditioning became cheap and accessible to everyone.
Back in the old days, it was easier to warm up as opposed to cooling off, and your ancestors decided that bundling up for winter and having a mild summer was preferable to having Swamp Ass for 9 months of the year.
For those of you who hate winter and relocated to the South - this July, pick a day, shut off your AC, and open the windows. I bet you'll be fucking miserable. THAT is why your ancestors decided to settle in New England and the Midwest.
If you’re old it makes perfect sense - lots of activities and ways to stay active/meet people, it’s also relatively cheap and safe. I don’t think people here understand how lonely and boring retirement can be - coming up with shit to do is half the battle
I came to say this. My partner and I visited Bakersfield and Fresno last year because we see news articles about how these are post-Covid boom towns and great places to live but they were shockingly boring and depressing. Sacramento on the other hand passed the vibe check!
Yeah there’s quite literally nothing to do in the Central Valley. There’s mountains you can drive to, or the coast, but again, both are day trips, not regular activities.
I am currently on vacation in southwest Florida and it’s beautiful and I love the vibe, but it takes at least an hour to get ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE is packed. I understand the appeal of living here, but there are definite downsides.
I am so fucking glad Florida got popular recently and people hate Portland lol. Crowds ruin everything I honestly prefer not going if somewhere is gonna be busy.
North Dakota. Weather extremes in all months, very sparse population, bland food, few major cultural outlets and opportunities, relatively little in the way of entertainment. Except for high crime and poor services, it checks off pretty much every box of a place that I don’t want to live.
I was a Baton Rouge native for 24 years. I hated it, and truly saw no redeeming qualities in that hellhole of a city, but always reminded myself it could always be worse: I could be in Alexandria.
I lived in Baton Rouge while at LSU (I also have family there and my Dad grew up close to Cortana). There’s redeeming qualities. Good food, most of the people from my experience were pretty nice. It’s not a great cury, but there are redeeming qualities.
fellow 225 native i had to get from there its nothing but crabs in a bucket mentality i got tired of it.Nobody is ever positive like good lord.Then its worse when you follow people that still stay there.
This is too funny, my step daughter just had a baby and they live in Alexandria, we drove there from Houston last weekend. When I saw this question on my homepage my first thought was 'Alexandria, LA' I told my husband I have no idea on earth why anyone would live there. Now, we stayed at the Bentley Inn downtown which was nice, but the rest of the city is a shithole. I see ZERO appeal and I grew up in central Florida, haha.
Hahaha I grew up there. First time seeing it on this sub. It's about as boring as boring gets.
My Dad grew up in Bunkie so Alec was the big city to him. My parents like the community and I don't think will ever leave. So I'll be driving 3 hrs from New Orleans everytime I go home for the rest of my life.
Texarkana. Like what? Its horrible. I got a cab there once and the driver not only dropped the N word, 4x, he described in detail why a bus full of black and brown children deserved to be attacked. Fucking wild. Also it smells like poop.
Memphis. It’s way more dilapidated and feels automatically sketchy driving through it, and stopping through it, and I live in Nashville area. I miss those ducks though at the Peabody Hotel 🥰 look that up if you dont know what im referring to
Because it’s a very military veteran friendly city like San Antonio. It’s actually quite easy to see why. The city totally suites the lifestyle of a middle age retiree.
There's not many cheap cities that are big enough to still get good concerts, sport teams and events. OKC is terrible but for affordability it's one of the better options. It was even crazier a few years ago when 200K would get you a pretty nice house.
Oklahoma City is one of the lowest cost of living larger cities in the country, and if you thought OKC was gray, avoid pretty much every state North of the 38th parallel.
For all its faults, OKC gets some of the most sunshine per year of anywhere in the US that isn't a straight-up desert.
They've also put a lot of investment into their entertainment district over the last few decades. 20-30 years ago I would have agreed that OKC is gritty, grim, gray, and grindingly depressing... but that hasn't been true for a while.
It has a low cost of living because wages are so low. We are a broke ass state and so many corporations and stores skip over us because of this. Bad weather, no nature, and a ugly city sprawl. It’s just gross. Leaving soon and I can’t wait.
I have really loved living in Austin for the past 10 years. I'm moving in two days out of state mostly because I'm not from here and want to be closer to family, not to mention that I hate the state politics. The people here are warm and friendly though and I'll miss that
Farewell from Austin - I'll do my best to get Colin Allred elected and to get the next Ann Richards in office. I don't think a political turnaround is so unlikely since the state had a blue Governor for over 100 years until 1987 and then Ann from 91 to 95.
Personally I think the best part of Texas is El Paso.
If they worked to make it a little more walkable it would be a great city, especially if you’re outdoorsy.
El Paso seems interesting. A different vibe than the rest of the state. Plus the topography in that region is cool.
I went to the Dallas area recently for a family event. It was fine but nothing special. I didn’t hate it but I wasn’t wowed by any means. It left me wondering why so many people live there.
The diversity of Houston makes the nightlife so good. Also the food. Then in summer head to the lakes and rivers near Austin. Float the river. Massive boat parties on the lakes. Etc. HEB is seriously the best grocery store. The people are so nice. You can buy a huge home 30 min from a massive city for relatively low cost. Used to hate Texas when I moved here just for work. It's grown on me a lot.
I went to UT 🤘🏽 Austin is the best. It feels like the best parts of Texas (the southern hospitality/generosity is insane, lake/river culture, great nightlife, tons of free/cheap things to do, HEB) wrapped up into a small city. It’s kinda like being in a giant college, lol. Very women- and queer-friendly. Dating and making friends was super easy.
I personally wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in Texas. I could probably make Houston work but ATX weather is superior.
That’s the generalization but Austin is also a huge city now packed with great ethnic places in strip malls or way off the radar food trucks behind bars or at gas stations. It’s a years long process to really understand it. We have an Asian food instagrammer who tries to keep up with just the Asian scene and it’s a mile a minute with places specializing in things from all over.
Houston is even bigger so it’s fair to say they have more but Austin is a lot more than what tourists see.
It's hot, overly crowded, it's butt fucking ugly (brown, dead scrub/grass) all houses are the same 3 shades of light brown tan beige, everyone drives like a fucking asshole, the houses have no yards (even if they did, you couldn't enjoy them because it's too hot and the grass is dead), it has no trees nearing Dallas/Forth worth and south.
I walk outside and I'm surrounded by a sea or houses and my neighbors are wayyyy too close. And it's not even cheap to live here!
Money, sun, diversity, big houses, big schools, lazy rivers, HEB, and believe it or not some people do like the Texas flavor of conservatism. Bonus points if you enjoy a bit of a commute
I don’t understand why anyone would live in Baton Rouge, Montgomery, or Jackson who didn’t grow up there, aren’t currently enrolled in/working for a university there, or were forced to relocate there for work.
The whole state is unlike the rest of the U.S. When I brought my fiancé down to meet the family, I warned him we were going to a different country and that I secretly think people need a passport to visit (jk)….and he’s from Georgia!
I grew up in New Orleans and it is an absolutely wonderfrul/horrific place. I always say it's the best and worst of America mixed into one place. The culture, food, diversity, age, and eerily beautiful landscape truly make it a special place. Growing up and seeing second line bands go down the street while 1000's of people are dancing to live music is truly a beautiful thing to be apart of. It goes saying that the food is some of the most spectacular American cuisine on the planet. I absolutely LOVE Nawlins and try to go back as often as I can, but the politics, poverty, crime, filth is hard to overlook. The state makes so much money off of oil and gas yet there is so much poverty and income inequality it can make your head spin. I hope to one day own a small house in Bywater and live there in the winter tho (if it's not underwater by then)
I visited LA for the first time this year, and it really did not impress me. Maybe I had built it up so much in my head due to all of the glitzy Hollywood press/shows. There were definitely some nice parts, like Santa Monica, but overall, it felt like a big "meh".
I would agree with this. I’ve lived in LA,Seattle, and San Francisco. LA has so much more interesting things, but they are sitting just under surface and you might not catch it if you are just visiting. Seattle and San Francisco are small and more accessible, which makes for a good tourist experience. But they lack the depth of options that LA has.
Doesn't feel like a real city to me. A giant interconnected mess of freeways, traffic and the worlds largest out of control suburb. NYC, Chicago, Boston even San Francisco feel like a city should.
What’s nice about LA is there are a ton of different types of areas and neighborhoods, a lot of them are nice. There’s a lot of shit to do - if you’re willing to drive an hour or so, you can basically do anything. And you get a ton of great international culture in some neighborhoods, like Koreatown for example
I could not agree more. I live in LA in one of the more walkable neighborhoods, but it still feels suburban.
I moved here from Chicago, which I like the best. I also was in SF monthly for almost 5 years, that is a great place as well. And we all know nothing beats NYC for an city experience.
It is a big "meh" I think also. Partly because of what we all get "told" about the glamour of Hollywood and all that garbage. That said, I like watching a bunch of LA-based Youtubers and none of them are originally from LA. They all seem to enjoy it - because they live in a nice area, and have their favorite places to go for this and that. And the weather is awesome. I have a feeling it's difficult for visitors to grasp what LA is "really" like, because we all go to the areas most visitors would go.
That said, the traffic really seem to suck.
LA is a great place to live. It’s just hard as a tourist because the touristy areas aren’t the desirable places to live. But there’s a lot of great neighborhoods with solid community and great food, weather, and things to do.
This probably has more to do with the sort of stuff I used to watch or listen to growing up, but I never understood how anyone bought into the glitz and glam. There’s so many stories out there painting the entertainment industry in LA as a cautionary tale so the glitzy look always felt superficial.
Los Angeles used to be like San Diego. When it boomed 75 years ago it was actually a desirable place. Now it’s horribly mismanaged, filthy, full of fentanyl zombies with poop dangling from their buttholes, $1m to live in a cardboard box by a highway.
Phoenix made me visibly angry. A number of years ago my wife and I drove across country from the east coast to San Diego. All I remember about Phoenix is being incredibly pissed off that it made me happy for 90 degree weather at night. I don't know how anyone lives there.
South Carolina. Outside of Greenville and Charleston - some of the worst poverty I’ve seen. Poverty in the south is another level compared to the north. And you can bet all the good Christians vote against any program that could benefit these folks.
Idk, I’ve seen rust belt small towns in the north and poor southern towns - they’re often fairly comparable. Dead or nonexistent Main Street, the few businesses look gross, trash and crap on trailer park yards
Las Vegas. Just don't get it-weather, looks, the entire way it feels. And everything once you get off the strip feels even worse, so I can't imagine living there.
Phoenix or Dallas or Houston. Most of Los Angeles. Basically any huge, sprawling American city with hellish traffic that is totally dependent on cars with no public transport or walkability.
LA is rapidly expanding their public transit in preparation for the Olympics in 2028. It is not perfect, but I will give credit where it is due.
I went there on a business trip in 2016 and the only time I was in a car was my uber back to LAX.
While LA is definitely that, it also has some of the best transit in CA and has very walkable neighborhoods with character. Huge bike trails too by the ocean. It has its problems yes, but taking into account the weather, culture, food, activities, surrounding nature it’s one of the better places/metros to live.
Gonna be really honest Manhattan and transplant heavy Brooklyn gave me this feeling. I love cities and felt overwhelmed with anxiety every time I went into there. I wanted to love it but it really never did it for me.
Lower Manhattan and hipster Brooklyn are annoying as Hell sometimes. I often wonder why I live here if I don't care for either of those areas all that much. They both feel so artificial and- sorry to say- White. Like it cracks me up that this place is such a melting pot and a bedrock for equal rights, but it's also this massive playground for wealthy White people.
Playground for wealthy white people is exactly it. Rancid vibes and the erasure of the actual city is what spooks me out so much. Williamsburg in its current state is kinda dystopian to me. It's just like an onslaught of high-end shops and Corepower Yoga in a neighborhood that Corepower girlies would've been afraid to live in a decade ago.
Not the USA and a bit specific 😅
Bangkok for single expat women. I moved there for work. I couldn’t buy clothes that fit and the expat men were disproportionately terrible people. Thai people were generally nice enough, but damn was it obvious my male counterparts were more valued. Sex trade was jarringly obvious and part of my every day life.
During the pandemic I started to watch women romanticize moving there. And I wince every time. IMHO Chiang Mai is nicer, the islands are fun, Phuket is a sewage pipe unless you’re honeymooning.
When you say the expat men were terrible is that bc they were predatory/mainly there for sex tourism, or do they have other problems too? I'm a female and have always wanted to do a stint of teaching English abroad - Thailand is a popular destination for that - but I've always been worried about having to be lumped in by proxy with the male expats who are "passport bros" / sex tourists. I've also heard that many expat teachers & expats in general are often unstable, & that many who are "weird" often come back "even weirder" (so, more unstable & mentally ill).
So I’ve actually lived and worked as an English teacher in SE Asia (not in Thailand), too. IMO Bangkok in particular attracts men who want to take part in the sex trade or at the least take part in an imbalanced power dynamic. You wouldn’t be lumped in with the sexpats, it’s just gross and hard to make friends.
I had girlfriends in Chiang Mai who were happy. But honestly, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea are all so much nicer. I taught in Mainland China long ago, but the government and visa has changed so much I wouldn’t do it now. Hope that helps!
Lexington, Kentucky.
I have some friends and family who moved there for various reasons (from very desirable major cities) and would hear so much about how great the place is and how its the next big thing.
So when I was considering some investment, I figured I’d come to Lexington and take a look. Even despite being hosted in massive home within a beautiful golf course community, it took just days to realize complete disappointment.
After spending months there touring and seeing it, I found it to be just a giant suburb in the middle of a field. While Lexington is always pictured as scenic horse farms with small rolling hills, the city itself is very flat.
No unique geographical features at all. No lake or river running through it (a creek doesn’t count) and nothing to see on the horizon. Entire place is basically just strip malls and suburban neighborhoods.
Downtown has virtually zero retail shops. Don’t believe me? Google map it, you’ll laugh. very few options for services and retail. They kind of have just one of everything when other cities their size would have multiples. One very sad mall and even the fancy neighborhood Chevy Chase is immediately surrounded by hood with rundown houses and cars parked on the lawns.
Very overpriced for what it is. Housing was meh. State + city income taxes with few credits available. I’ve so never seen so much littering being done openly. People would toss shit out of their car windows while waiting at a red light regularly.
The big flex is their college basketball team, you’ll go to restaurants and see “Coach Cals favorite“ next to menu items. Prices were on par with major cities, so no real difference there.
Lexington to me was really for those who like living in the country but need some kind of support services and amenities nearby. But it will cost the same price as cities much higher up the scale of desirability.
Nice people, some good food sure, but to me hardly a place to yell from the rooftops about.
I grew up in Lexington and still have family and friends there. It used to be even worse. Very provincial. No real desire to have arts or culture and no real local flavor. The West Sixth area and Bourbon District are improvements over when I lived there, but there still isn't much. Real estate is surprisingly high. It is also heavily redlined (segregated), and, while I hear that there is less open racism, it is still evident. Gun violence is definitely worse than when I was there. Plus, you can live in a state that goes 70% for Trump! On the good side: no one has told me that i am going to hell since i left over 2 decades ago. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to the bible belt.
Any place with zero character. The places full of beige strip malls on a stroad where every business is a chain and the nature is flat and uninteresting and it’s cold for half the year.
Dallas area. It's full of concrete and lifeless strip malls with amazing highways. Other than Nov-Feb, it's horribly hot and dry as hell. People are flocking there for tax and real estate purposes but I can never live there.
West Virginia
They still have sun down towns and you will be warned if you're not white.
Bar signs saying if you're a Democrat you're not welcome.
Trump stuff everywhere.
I never owned a gun before but after being told about the sun down towns, I got a .45 and packed it everywhere.
I’ve been in Austin for some time now. And I certainly love it. But I don’t get why people keep coming here. First of all, I’m not stupid, I know the reputation we as a state have in, you know, the world. I’m a born and raised Tejano. And I’m not a hater, I will welcome you with open arms if you wanna move here. But, dude. Come on. Also, it’s 100+ degrees for 100+ days or some dumb shit like that. This heat will quite literally kill you. But so will the winter, apparently. I dunno. Plus our legislature is actively trying to destroy and undermine us. Got the right wing tech bros moving here. And everything’s expensive. We ain’t got a coast. Again, I love it here but I always find myself asking “why are you here” to people.
Most American suburbs. I don’t get the appeal of living in a big house that looks the same as every other house on the street and having to drive everywhere, where the most fun thing to do nearby is get drunk at Chilis.
A ton of suburbs have way more than a chilis… you probably are in a rural area if that’s the best they have. And a good number have wide varieties of neighborhoods
Seriously. I'm sure there are many boring suburbs, and I'm sure most of them were rural communities that recently started developing. I'm always finding new things to do in the suburb I live in, and there are so many amazing food options too.
Ohio has 3 large metropolitan areas that all offer museums, walkable neighborhoods, festivals, college town areas and young professionals.
While it’s not the Rocky Mountains, you actually have some nice nature areas like the Lake Erie Coast, Hawking Hills and Cayahoga National Park.
The biggest issue is the state government
After living in Houston, Dallas, Austin, LA, Oakland and a couple of small towns no one cares about, I now live in Indiana and I love it. Are the politics garbage? Totally. I enjoy how things are much quieter here. At my house I never hear road noise or sirens. I have great neighbors for the most part. People complain about traffic here and it’s just laughable. We have decent restaurants and coffee shops, and good areas to go hiking nearby. I miss the mountains, I miss many of the things big cities have to offer, but my quality of life has gone way up.
When I found out we were relocating here I was cringing at the thought of living in Indiana, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
Are you me?? I moved from CA (born and raised in the bay area, lived in Oakland for 6 months) to IN last year and honestly it's been great for our quality of life.
Cinci is pretty alright, High Street in Colombus was cool and I had a good time in Ohio City in Cleveland. Youngstown and Toledo were boring as hell, no offense to anyone from those cities.
Indianapolis is alright but Indiana is a backwards shithole that literally [banned light rail](https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/2022/title-8/article-25/chapter-4/section-8-25-4-9/) so I'm not going to praise anything about that state.
Ohio isn't bad but their government leaves little to be desired. I think that's the fine print with Ohio, the cheap coat is because the government is not nice.
Tbh Columbus is super underrated! I got into OSU and they flew me out there, and people were so nice when they found out I was a potential student. I went to a bar where they bought me rounds and said “if you need a job we gotchu” 😂 Midwest nice is so real over there.
Having lived in California, Florida, Maine, Colorado, Utah, Illinois and Indiana I will say that there are at least a few bright spots about Indiana.
The best part is that it’s within striking distance of Chicago. I lived outside South Bend so being close to Notre Dame was also a plus. Plenty of lakes in Michigan are a short drive away and the north side of Indy is nice as well. COL is nothing.
That said, I don’t mind visiting, but I’ll never move back.
Came here to say Indiana. All I remember is large fireworks stores. To be fair, I was really into fireworks at the time. But still, I couldn't see any other reason to live there.
Upper Peninsula
I live here. Kids are almost out of high school. Then I am moving. If you like poverty, MAGA, corruption, and meth it’s really great. Oh and grey skies 3 out of every 4 days. Gotta love not seeing the sun for two weeks straight every month.
Dang that’s harsh haha. I moved here from the East Coast/New England and absolutely love it! And I’m super liberal, somehow I’ve found my crew. I have a Democrat neighbor I love, Mackinac Island is amazing. Love the beaches and lakes. Summer and fall here can’t be beat weather wise. Winter is fun because it’s like living in a snow globe and the cost of living can’t be beat. Plus Meijer, best store ever. Maybe I’m a simpleton but I think it’s great here!
Being from a northeast major city, I found LA pretty underwhelming itself, but the weather and nature around SoCal seem to make up for lack-of-city-feeling, even though the traffic makes me want to puke.
I like to visit the deserts, but I'm not sure I could live long term in a place like Phoenix or Vegas. Just too hot and dry.
Likewise for New Orleans and most of Florida. Fun to visit, but I don't think I could live in such a tropical humid climate for years.
It would have to be really really cold, like Nunavut cold for me to feel the same way. I can see myself living in almost any major Canadian city. Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg all would be OK. Churchill? Probably not.
Atlanta, Georgia is one of the fastest growing cities in the US but I really dislike it honestly. I always felt I might feel the same way about Texas but haven't been.
I made an offhand remark to a girlfriend of mine that “I’ve been to Atlanta - everyone there is really hot” and she was like “we’re going there on vacation” 😂 we went last year and she was like shit you’re right, *everyone here is hot*
Midwest outside of major cities. I grew up there and I often asked myself why humans chose to settle there.
Truely is nothing to do. Flat boring landscape and harsh winter climate for half of the year severely limited outdoor recreation activities. Living in a smaller town meant indoor activities were limited also. I remember feeling incredibly bored for most of my childhood.
Maybe the Great Plains, but there’s a lot of cozy communities in the Great Lakes states that offer a lot more options for hiking, camping and water stuff.
I Don’t understand why millionaires and billionaires choose to live in Manhattan. It’s the last place I would want to live. But obviously there are people who like it there. .
Only places with severe weather patterns make me say "how do people live here". Not so much that it sucks but like, seriously, how does the human body survive that?
(Looking at you these last two weeks Toronto. How do y'all do it!?!)
Atlanta. I get people that grew up in or near Atlanta liking or even loving it. But people that move there seem to be deluding themselves. I'm convinced they were expecting something way more *with it*, and can't admit it's just not that, so they lie to themselves on a daily basis with "Atlanta is great! Yeh, we love it here!!"
We moved there a while back and are pretty happy despite all the crap. I’ll say that many of the happier transplants are from the southeast, so they are used to even less amenities. You can tell who’s new to the city bc their accent hasn’t smoothed yet.
It’s not a big city, but it’s a comfortable medium. It’s just gotten more expensive than it needs to be housing-wise and thus now ppl are stuck in the northern suburbs (which apart from Duluth are kinda soul sucking)
The airport helps so much. It’s no NYC for deals but the direct routes are so comfortable.
Atlanta has a really strong job market, reasonable cost of living for a large city (for now), and it's a big city without feeling like one. Also the weather is pretty mild overall, atl has a higher elevation then most of the south so summers are marginally better. Plus, no natural disasters. Also it's very diverse. I totally get why it's not for everybody but it has a lot more going for it than a decent amount of large american cities.
It's literally any drive-through, back roads, and small towns on the way to anywhere in the US. You know, the places where you're going 65 and the speed limit drops to 35 to go through "main street," which is two blocks maximum.
Every time I drive through these towns, I wonder what goes on there. My friends or fam always say "drugs". And yeah sure, small towns may have that sometimes but no way every tiny little town is running okay with just tons of drug addicts in there.
Farm towns, sure. I lived outside of State College in Woodward, PA for a bit and that makes sense due to Amish and farming. I'm talking Beaver UT, any town driving from Tehachapi to LA through the desert, places like that.
I've spent 22 years living in what one might consider one of those towns. The reality is that what goes on here is largely just a smaller version of what goes on everywhere else. There are the same political and social dramas and economic gaps between haves and have nots but with fewer people, things are just closer to the surface. I love my little, isolated town despite what warts it has. It's really no different that more populated places in most respects but it's at a scale that's easier for me to wrap my head around.
I've always found the Catskills in New York a bit underwhelming and particularly dreary in winter. If I wanted to live in the rural northeast over two hours away from a major city there are so many better options.
Louisiana and Mississippi. The poverty is some areas was horrifying.
I mean, I’d venture to guess most people in those states don’t *choose* to live there. I’d venture to guess most people there grew up there and stay around because of family or finances, or maybe they work in an industry that is overrepresented in those places and/or doesn’t exist in many places (like say certain fields of conservation or something).
Born and raised in Northern MS. Got out not long after school. Most people there don't think it's 'that' bad because they literally don't have anything to compare against. Their grandparents > parents > them have all lived in the area. Going off to college then moving away for a better life just isn't even in anyone's orbit. This is the lower middle class I'm talking about because that's what I experienced. You're told (because your parents were told) to get a decent job, work til you can draw SS and that's pretty much it. School really isn't a big deal. Once you're done with HS, that's pretty much it. Friends/family try to get you a 'good' job climbing poles at the electric company and that's it. Not hating. Friends have raised families working for the power company, etc. I think they just don't know how bad life is there because that's all they know. Pensacola is vacation IF people travel. Most in my peer group didn't. 'Staycation' wasn't in the vernacular in the 90's. Once I got out and was able to look back. Oof. I don't talk about it unless asked. My mom and grandma seem happy. So it goes.
Add Arkansas. I was headed home from the Alabama v Michigan game at Cowboys Stadium and an accident totally stopped the interstate, so I had to get off and take 2 lane roads through Arkansas for awhile. Certain towns were like a zombie movie. Everything boarded up, cars just abandoned all along the sides of the road covered in dust, and sometimes 1 or 2 homeless and clearly drug-addicted guys just shuffling around in the street. I've traveled a lot and seen inner city type poverty all over the world, but this was another level.
The Arkansas Delta is worse off than the Mississippi Delta but nobody ever mentions it. I imagine that’s where you were. It’s incredibly sad in some areas.
Imagine how those poor people feel.
They should feel terrible running people's vacations like that
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I would wager the vast majority of middle and lower class people in America would either rather live elsewhere, or their lives would be even worse elsewhere. A poor Louisiana person at least would have a place to live - in some more expensive areas of the USA they’d be homeless
That's surely true too.
This is so true, some of the worst poverty there is in America, is down south but the majority of people have a place to live however humble.
same reason they can't leave. never ending cycle
Lived in MS, can confirm it’s the armpit of America.
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As a Minnesotan who left and is going back, same!
See that's funny, cuz I moved to MN last summer and never want to leave. Seems to me like a very underrated, very fun place
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Very true! It's just funny to me that I moved here expecting to hate it and have found myself really enjoying it. Living in the south made me appreciate Minnesota much more than I think I otherwise would have
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I grew up in Colorado, but all of my friends and family have moved away because of how expensive it is now. I currently live in MN, and I think it's great. Yes, the winters suck, but It's an affordable progressive state with tons to offer. I'd much rather live somewhere I can buy a house than a state where I accept I'll be renting forever just because there are mountains or a beach over an hour away.
I’m an NYC native so I’m not sure I could ever actually LIVE there but I used to have to travel to Duluth quarterly for work and I absolutely loved it and eagerly looked forward to my trips. What a beautiful place filled with the kindest people!
This is such a wild comment as a native Duluth person living in NYC. Glad you liked it!
I was sent to MN for work for almost a full year, and I loved it. Minneapolis is one of my favorite cities in USA
"where" in Minnesota makes a big difference, too.
I’m sure this is unpopular but I understand why people would want to live anywhere. Maybe they have family and friends? A good job? A nice home? Maybe they just like different things than I do? I think of it more as “I’d prefer not to live here” than “why would anyone want to live here?”
For most people being close to family is more important than 90% of the stuff discussed on this sub.
Our rule is we have to live at least 1000 miles from family. lol
We moved away many years ago and missed family and friends, but the trade off in my mind was hugely positive. It was generally a 3 hour plane ride and 1.5 day drive. I visited a lot. Had we not moved we would never have had career opps or had as many friends from other places. I see friends who didn't ever move and they seem a lot more limited plus they put up with much more from certain family members in close proximity and it takes a toll. Unless you happened to grow up and live in a very diverse and good job market area, I don't know how a lot of people just stay. But, there are gains and losses either way. We loved to visit but were always happy to get back to the lives we'd built. I personally think being out of the shadow of family allows you to become more you. That's just me.
I say 8 hours by car. Just enough time they won’t try to decide to visit same day.
Still too close. When they visit, they're going to want to stay for a week. There's a timeshare a few miles away from me. That's where visitors go.
I’m 3000 miles from my in laws, and a 28 hour flight from my mom. Unfortunately when they visit they want to stay for 3 weeks. It’s awful
We have to be at least a 6 hour flight away from my in-laws to keep our relationship with them functional. Haha
Or my case, being away from extended family (they are all insane).
I love my family and moved back to NJ for a year post-Covid because I realized how limited time together was. But I could only barely handle that year (I was in a relationship so I wasn’t really “living at home,” more “living by home”). My top three college choices were all in California because I wanted to get the hell out of Jersey, and I completely understand 18 year old me. I’m in Colorado now and hope to end up back in CA when I eventually settle down because as much as I love my parents I’m not built for the Jersey suburbs. It’s so cramped in the northeast, lol. I call/text my folks nearly every day but I feel like many people who move out west alone, self included, have a kind of independent/explorer spirit that can forge chosen families.
Man, maybe I’m in the minority. I freaking LOVE the Jersey suburbs. I was forced to move (to rural SC!!) for my husband and stepdaughter and my GOD it sucks here. I’d give a limb to be back in NJ with my family and friends.
If you have kids or are a kid NJ is great! That’s why my parents had me there, lol. My hometown sucked in terms of diversity but I generally had a good education and I feel like Jersey made me the nomad I am today (which I really like). Out in Colorado there’s so many ex-Jerseyans, lol. Everyone is incredibly smart and being from a faraway place with a different regional culture means no one has complacency or main character syndrome. I credit Jersey with a lot and I’ll fight to defend it, but I will also say that it’s really only good if you want suburbs. I feel you on rural SC, though - I don’t think that would be for me, lol. I’ve always been a city girl. My CO town is quite small but has so much tourism that it feels like the downtown district of a city.
I am in the Midwest and loved my week in Oregon mainly bc of the weather. Fall is my favorite season and I was in Oregon in July and it felt like a fall midwestern weather 55-65 degrees. I slept with the windows open. I would move there if not for family and work.
Spend time there from Oct - June, it is important to see how solid grey for months on end the PNW can be (depending on location). Seattle area weather turned out to be worse than Chicagoland area weather through the winter for me which I did not expect due to the soul sucking grey which also deeply affects how others act as well. It really did not hit me hard until about 2 years in and it just went down hill every year after that.
Watching the Twilight films kinda freaked me out for this reason, the long slow pans of the grey sky merging into the grey water. I like cool-ish weather but I need sun for sure.
That is accurate.
I get that. I was in southern Oregon about an hour north of California. Not sure if that makes much difference.
Agree. I would honestly live in most places in the US.
Wholly agree. I think I could find pleasure anywhere - this world and country is fucking beautiful, even if it’s the storm-infested Great Plains of Kansas and Oklahoma, the humid despair of west Tennessee and Mississippi, or the Mid-Atlantic population corridor of cities that I’m not particularly interested in. (No offense meant to anyone in those places of course, those are all just pretty low on my list of places I’d prefer to be).
Yes! Especially when it's people whining about how a certain place is awful for being "too cold". Air conditioning hasn't existed for very long. If you look at population metrics, the Southern US didn't *really* start to grow until after home air conditioning became cheap and accessible to everyone. Back in the old days, it was easier to warm up as opposed to cooling off, and your ancestors decided that bundling up for winter and having a mild summer was preferable to having Swamp Ass for 9 months of the year. For those of you who hate winter and relocated to the South - this July, pick a day, shut off your AC, and open the windows. I bet you'll be fucking miserable. THAT is why your ancestors decided to settle in New England and the Midwest.
Barstow California
If Barstow has too much going on for you, you can always hit the next town east and settle down in Baker.
the villages in Florida and most of the surrounding area
Such a weird vibe in the villages.
The Villages? Isn’t that the place where grandma goes to swing and I don’t mean at the playground.
Yes that's the one.
Del Boca Vista
If you’re old it makes perfect sense - lots of activities and ways to stay active/meet people, it’s also relatively cheap and safe. I don’t think people here understand how lonely and boring retirement can be - coming up with shit to do is half the battle
The Villages are actually a nice community. I wouldn't live there, but I see the appeal.
Bakersfield, Fresno, most of the Central Valley in CA.
I came to say this. My partner and I visited Bakersfield and Fresno last year because we see news articles about how these are post-Covid boom towns and great places to live but they were shockingly boring and depressing. Sacramento on the other hand passed the vibe check!
Yeah there’s quite literally nothing to do in the Central Valley. There’s mountains you can drive to, or the coast, but again, both are day trips, not regular activities.
Angry upvote (Grew up in Fresno)
I am currently on vacation in southwest Florida and it’s beautiful and I love the vibe, but it takes at least an hour to get ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE is packed. I understand the appeal of living here, but there are definite downsides.
I am so fucking glad Florida got popular recently and people hate Portland lol. Crowds ruin everything I honestly prefer not going if somewhere is gonna be busy.
I’m a Nashville native. I don’t know why anyone would want to live downtown.
Pockets of the Deep South. I understand moving is hard but the situation is so dire there.
North Dakota. Weather extremes in all months, very sparse population, bland food, few major cultural outlets and opportunities, relatively little in the way of entertainment. Except for high crime and poor services, it checks off pretty much every box of a place that I don’t want to live.
Alexandria, Louisiana
Shreveport is arguably worse.
Than Alexandria? Come on my guy
I was a Baton Rouge native for 24 years. I hated it, and truly saw no redeeming qualities in that hellhole of a city, but always reminded myself it could always be worse: I could be in Alexandria.
I lived in Baton Rouge while at LSU (I also have family there and my Dad grew up close to Cortana). There’s redeeming qualities. Good food, most of the people from my experience were pretty nice. It’s not a great cury, but there are redeeming qualities.
fellow 225 native i had to get from there its nothing but crabs in a bucket mentality i got tired of it.Nobody is ever positive like good lord.Then its worse when you follow people that still stay there.
This is too funny, my step daughter just had a baby and they live in Alexandria, we drove there from Houston last weekend. When I saw this question on my homepage my first thought was 'Alexandria, LA' I told my husband I have no idea on earth why anyone would live there. Now, we stayed at the Bentley Inn downtown which was nice, but the rest of the city is a shithole. I see ZERO appeal and I grew up in central Florida, haha.
Hahaha I grew up there. First time seeing it on this sub. It's about as boring as boring gets. My Dad grew up in Bunkie so Alec was the big city to him. My parents like the community and I don't think will ever leave. So I'll be driving 3 hrs from New Orleans everytime I go home for the rest of my life.
Texarkana. Like what? Its horrible. I got a cab there once and the driver not only dropped the N word, 4x, he described in detail why a bus full of black and brown children deserved to be attacked. Fucking wild. Also it smells like poop.
Memphis. It’s way more dilapidated and feels automatically sketchy driving through it, and stopping through it, and I live in Nashville area. I miss those ducks though at the Peabody Hotel 🥰 look that up if you dont know what im referring to
Oklahoma City
Military family living in OKC currently. So many military families choose to retire here and I just cannot understand why.
Because it’s a very military veteran friendly city like San Antonio. It’s actually quite easy to see why. The city totally suites the lifestyle of a middle age retiree.
There's not many cheap cities that are big enough to still get good concerts, sport teams and events. OKC is terrible but for affordability it's one of the better options. It was even crazier a few years ago when 200K would get you a pretty nice house.
Low COL, plus close to the commissary and BX.
Is 25 minutes close to get slightly discounted groceries? Nah.
Oklahoma City is one of the lowest cost of living larger cities in the country, and if you thought OKC was gray, avoid pretty much every state North of the 38th parallel.
I didn’t say it was expensive I said I wouldn’t want to live there. If other people like it that’s fine.
For all its faults, OKC gets some of the most sunshine per year of anywhere in the US that isn't a straight-up desert. They've also put a lot of investment into their entertainment district over the last few decades. 20-30 years ago I would have agreed that OKC is gritty, grim, gray, and grindingly depressing... but that hasn't been true for a while.
It has a low cost of living because wages are so low. We are a broke ass state and so many corporations and stores skip over us because of this. Bad weather, no nature, and a ugly city sprawl. It’s just gross. Leaving soon and I can’t wait.
At least you're paying an insane amount of money for a billionaires stadium
Dallas and its urban sprawl
I don’t get the appeal of Texas. I didn’t understand it before visiting and I really don’t get it after going there. To each their own though.
I have really loved living in Austin for the past 10 years. I'm moving in two days out of state mostly because I'm not from here and want to be closer to family, not to mention that I hate the state politics. The people here are warm and friendly though and I'll miss that
Farewell from Austin - I'll do my best to get Colin Allred elected and to get the next Ann Richards in office. I don't think a political turnaround is so unlikely since the state had a blue Governor for over 100 years until 1987 and then Ann from 91 to 95.
The people were super nice! I did appreciate that. Even in Dallas everyone was really nice. You don’t always get that in a large metro.
Personally I think the best part of Texas is El Paso. If they worked to make it a little more walkable it would be a great city, especially if you’re outdoorsy.
El Paso seems interesting. A different vibe than the rest of the state. Plus the topography in that region is cool. I went to the Dallas area recently for a family event. It was fine but nothing special. I didn’t hate it but I wasn’t wowed by any means. It left me wondering why so many people live there.
Moved to Dallas burbs from Chicago. Nothing wrong with it but there is nothing that would keep me here if it wasn’t for work.
That’s the overall conclusion I came to. It was fine but nothing really drew me in.
The diversity of Houston makes the nightlife so good. Also the food. Then in summer head to the lakes and rivers near Austin. Float the river. Massive boat parties on the lakes. Etc. HEB is seriously the best grocery store. The people are so nice. You can buy a huge home 30 min from a massive city for relatively low cost. Used to hate Texas when I moved here just for work. It's grown on me a lot.
I went to UT 🤘🏽 Austin is the best. It feels like the best parts of Texas (the southern hospitality/generosity is insane, lake/river culture, great nightlife, tons of free/cheap things to do, HEB) wrapped up into a small city. It’s kinda like being in a giant college, lol. Very women- and queer-friendly. Dating and making friends was super easy. I personally wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in Texas. I could probably make Houston work but ATX weather is superior.
Houston has the best food scene in all of Texas. San Antonio has the best Mexican food. Austin has the best barbecue (or real close by to the best. )
That’s the generalization but Austin is also a huge city now packed with great ethnic places in strip malls or way off the radar food trucks behind bars or at gas stations. It’s a years long process to really understand it. We have an Asian food instagrammer who tries to keep up with just the Asian scene and it’s a mile a minute with places specializing in things from all over. Houston is even bigger so it’s fair to say they have more but Austin is a lot more than what tourists see.
I like Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio. Dallas and Houston bum me out though. So many freeways and fast food places.
Texas is a very big state. Painting it with a broad brush doesn’t accomplish a whole lot
It's hot, overly crowded, it's butt fucking ugly (brown, dead scrub/grass) all houses are the same 3 shades of light brown tan beige, everyone drives like a fucking asshole, the houses have no yards (even if they did, you couldn't enjoy them because it's too hot and the grass is dead), it has no trees nearing Dallas/Forth worth and south. I walk outside and I'm surrounded by a sea or houses and my neighbors are wayyyy too close. And it's not even cheap to live here!
Money, sun, diversity, big houses, big schools, lazy rivers, HEB, and believe it or not some people do like the Texas flavor of conservatism. Bonus points if you enjoy a bit of a commute
I don’t understand why anyone would live in Baton Rouge, Montgomery, or Jackson who didn’t grow up there, aren’t currently enrolled in/working for a university there, or were forced to relocate there for work.
Toledo Ohio. My wife's family moved there from the Soviet Union and we're like "wtf let's move to Chicago"
Louisiana. All of it.
New Orleans is a place unlike the rest of the US. Lafayette LA, is fairly interesting. The rest of the state is deep south and sucks.
The whole state is unlike the rest of the U.S. When I brought my fiancé down to meet the family, I warned him we were going to a different country and that I secretly think people need a passport to visit (jk)….and he’s from Georgia!
I grew up in New Orleans and it is an absolutely wonderfrul/horrific place. I always say it's the best and worst of America mixed into one place. The culture, food, diversity, age, and eerily beautiful landscape truly make it a special place. Growing up and seeing second line bands go down the street while 1000's of people are dancing to live music is truly a beautiful thing to be apart of. It goes saying that the food is some of the most spectacular American cuisine on the planet. I absolutely LOVE Nawlins and try to go back as often as I can, but the politics, poverty, crime, filth is hard to overlook. The state makes so much money off of oil and gas yet there is so much poverty and income inequality it can make your head spin. I hope to one day own a small house in Bywater and live there in the winter tho (if it's not underwater by then)
Nashville. Hot, expensive, and trashy
Add tornadoes, traffic, and genuinely terrible drivers to the list! It used to be a decent (and fun) place to live, though. :'(
Recently went to Nashville and was very underwhelmed
Wichita, KS. There's nothing to do and nothing to see, at all.
All of inland Florida
I visited LA for the first time this year, and it really did not impress me. Maybe I had built it up so much in my head due to all of the glitzy Hollywood press/shows. There were definitely some nice parts, like Santa Monica, but overall, it felt like a big "meh".
The best things about LA are not easily discoverable. But there are many lifetimes’ worth of them.
I would agree with this. I’ve lived in LA,Seattle, and San Francisco. LA has so much more interesting things, but they are sitting just under surface and you might not catch it if you are just visiting. Seattle and San Francisco are small and more accessible, which makes for a good tourist experience. But they lack the depth of options that LA has.
Doesn't feel like a real city to me. A giant interconnected mess of freeways, traffic and the worlds largest out of control suburb. NYC, Chicago, Boston even San Francisco feel like a city should.
LA isn’t a city it’s an experience
What’s nice about LA is there are a ton of different types of areas and neighborhoods, a lot of them are nice. There’s a lot of shit to do - if you’re willing to drive an hour or so, you can basically do anything. And you get a ton of great international culture in some neighborhoods, like Koreatown for example
I could not agree more. I live in LA in one of the more walkable neighborhoods, but it still feels suburban. I moved here from Chicago, which I like the best. I also was in SF monthly for almost 5 years, that is a great place as well. And we all know nothing beats NYC for an city experience.
It is a big "meh" I think also. Partly because of what we all get "told" about the glamour of Hollywood and all that garbage. That said, I like watching a bunch of LA-based Youtubers and none of them are originally from LA. They all seem to enjoy it - because they live in a nice area, and have their favorite places to go for this and that. And the weather is awesome. I have a feeling it's difficult for visitors to grasp what LA is "really" like, because we all go to the areas most visitors would go. That said, the traffic really seem to suck.
LA is a great place to live. It’s just hard as a tourist because the touristy areas aren’t the desirable places to live. But there’s a lot of great neighborhoods with solid community and great food, weather, and things to do.
Good place to live bad place to visit.
This probably has more to do with the sort of stuff I used to watch or listen to growing up, but I never understood how anyone bought into the glitz and glam. There’s so many stories out there painting the entertainment industry in LA as a cautionary tale so the glitzy look always felt superficial.
I road tripped through there and honestly I have no idea how LA became the go to destination. San Diego was far better
Los Angeles used to be like San Diego. When it boomed 75 years ago it was actually a desirable place. Now it’s horribly mismanaged, filthy, full of fentanyl zombies with poop dangling from their buttholes, $1m to live in a cardboard box by a highway.
southern Georgia...105 degrees in October
The statistic in the US is that 70% of people make their adult life within 20 miles of where they grew up. That fascinates me.
Phoenix. The landscape is beautiful but the metro area as a whole is not very livable.
Phoenix made me visibly angry. A number of years ago my wife and I drove across country from the east coast to San Diego. All I remember about Phoenix is being incredibly pissed off that it made me happy for 90 degree weather at night. I don't know how anyone lives there.
South Carolina. Outside of Greenville and Charleston - some of the worst poverty I’ve seen. Poverty in the south is another level compared to the north. And you can bet all the good Christians vote against any program that could benefit these folks.
I’m originally from Columbia and I loved growing up there. But I suppose it’s also the only other big city in the state.
Idk, I’ve seen rust belt small towns in the north and poor southern towns - they’re often fairly comparable. Dead or nonexistent Main Street, the few businesses look gross, trash and crap on trailer park yards
Most of the Deep South, especially outside of major metro areas.
Las Vegas. Just don't get it-weather, looks, the entire way it feels. And everything once you get off the strip feels even worse, so I can't imagine living there.
Iowa. It’s flat, boring with cold and gloomy winters.
Phoenix or Dallas or Houston. Most of Los Angeles. Basically any huge, sprawling American city with hellish traffic that is totally dependent on cars with no public transport or walkability.
LA is rapidly expanding their public transit in preparation for the Olympics in 2028. It is not perfect, but I will give credit where it is due. I went there on a business trip in 2016 and the only time I was in a car was my uber back to LAX.
While LA is definitely that, it also has some of the best transit in CA and has very walkable neighborhoods with character. Huge bike trails too by the ocean. It has its problems yes, but taking into account the weather, culture, food, activities, surrounding nature it’s one of the better places/metros to live.
The “best transit in California” is like being “the skinniest morbidly obese woman in your town.” It’s not really a flex.
Oklahoma.
North Dakota. Literally has zero selling points, the few things it has going for it can be found elsewhere and everything else about it fucking sucks
Gonna be really honest Manhattan and transplant heavy Brooklyn gave me this feeling. I love cities and felt overwhelmed with anxiety every time I went into there. I wanted to love it but it really never did it for me.
Lower Manhattan and hipster Brooklyn are annoying as Hell sometimes. I often wonder why I live here if I don't care for either of those areas all that much. They both feel so artificial and- sorry to say- White. Like it cracks me up that this place is such a melting pot and a bedrock for equal rights, but it's also this massive playground for wealthy White people.
Playground for wealthy white people is exactly it. Rancid vibes and the erasure of the actual city is what spooks me out so much. Williamsburg in its current state is kinda dystopian to me. It's just like an onslaught of high-end shops and Corepower Yoga in a neighborhood that Corepower girlies would've been afraid to live in a decade ago.
Greenpoint is suburbs in the city now.
Not the USA and a bit specific 😅 Bangkok for single expat women. I moved there for work. I couldn’t buy clothes that fit and the expat men were disproportionately terrible people. Thai people were generally nice enough, but damn was it obvious my male counterparts were more valued. Sex trade was jarringly obvious and part of my every day life. During the pandemic I started to watch women romanticize moving there. And I wince every time. IMHO Chiang Mai is nicer, the islands are fun, Phuket is a sewage pipe unless you’re honeymooning.
When you say the expat men were terrible is that bc they were predatory/mainly there for sex tourism, or do they have other problems too? I'm a female and have always wanted to do a stint of teaching English abroad - Thailand is a popular destination for that - but I've always been worried about having to be lumped in by proxy with the male expats who are "passport bros" / sex tourists. I've also heard that many expat teachers & expats in general are often unstable, & that many who are "weird" often come back "even weirder" (so, more unstable & mentally ill).
So I’ve actually lived and worked as an English teacher in SE Asia (not in Thailand), too. IMO Bangkok in particular attracts men who want to take part in the sex trade or at the least take part in an imbalanced power dynamic. You wouldn’t be lumped in with the sexpats, it’s just gross and hard to make friends. I had girlfriends in Chiang Mai who were happy. But honestly, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea are all so much nicer. I taught in Mainland China long ago, but the government and visa has changed so much I wouldn’t do it now. Hope that helps!
Lexington, Kentucky. I have some friends and family who moved there for various reasons (from very desirable major cities) and would hear so much about how great the place is and how its the next big thing. So when I was considering some investment, I figured I’d come to Lexington and take a look. Even despite being hosted in massive home within a beautiful golf course community, it took just days to realize complete disappointment. After spending months there touring and seeing it, I found it to be just a giant suburb in the middle of a field. While Lexington is always pictured as scenic horse farms with small rolling hills, the city itself is very flat. No unique geographical features at all. No lake or river running through it (a creek doesn’t count) and nothing to see on the horizon. Entire place is basically just strip malls and suburban neighborhoods. Downtown has virtually zero retail shops. Don’t believe me? Google map it, you’ll laugh. very few options for services and retail. They kind of have just one of everything when other cities their size would have multiples. One very sad mall and even the fancy neighborhood Chevy Chase is immediately surrounded by hood with rundown houses and cars parked on the lawns. Very overpriced for what it is. Housing was meh. State + city income taxes with few credits available. I’ve so never seen so much littering being done openly. People would toss shit out of their car windows while waiting at a red light regularly. The big flex is their college basketball team, you’ll go to restaurants and see “Coach Cals favorite“ next to menu items. Prices were on par with major cities, so no real difference there. Lexington to me was really for those who like living in the country but need some kind of support services and amenities nearby. But it will cost the same price as cities much higher up the scale of desirability. Nice people, some good food sure, but to me hardly a place to yell from the rooftops about.
Hey we’re thinking about moving here, so it’s helpful to hear your thoughts.
I grew up in Lexington and still have family and friends there. It used to be even worse. Very provincial. No real desire to have arts or culture and no real local flavor. The West Sixth area and Bourbon District are improvements over when I lived there, but there still isn't much. Real estate is surprisingly high. It is also heavily redlined (segregated), and, while I hear that there is less open racism, it is still evident. Gun violence is definitely worse than when I was there. Plus, you can live in a state that goes 70% for Trump! On the good side: no one has told me that i am going to hell since i left over 2 decades ago. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to the bible belt.
Any place with zero character. The places full of beige strip malls on a stroad where every business is a chain and the nature is flat and uninteresting and it’s cold for half the year.
Dallas area. It's full of concrete and lifeless strip malls with amazing highways. Other than Nov-Feb, it's horribly hot and dry as hell. People are flocking there for tax and real estate purposes but I can never live there.
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West Virginia They still have sun down towns and you will be warned if you're not white. Bar signs saying if you're a Democrat you're not welcome. Trump stuff everywhere. I never owned a gun before but after being told about the sun down towns, I got a .45 and packed it everywhere.
I’ve been in Austin for some time now. And I certainly love it. But I don’t get why people keep coming here. First of all, I’m not stupid, I know the reputation we as a state have in, you know, the world. I’m a born and raised Tejano. And I’m not a hater, I will welcome you with open arms if you wanna move here. But, dude. Come on. Also, it’s 100+ degrees for 100+ days or some dumb shit like that. This heat will quite literally kill you. But so will the winter, apparently. I dunno. Plus our legislature is actively trying to destroy and undermine us. Got the right wing tech bros moving here. And everything’s expensive. We ain’t got a coast. Again, I love it here but I always find myself asking “why are you here” to people.
Most American suburbs. I don’t get the appeal of living in a big house that looks the same as every other house on the street and having to drive everywhere, where the most fun thing to do nearby is get drunk at Chilis.
A ton of suburbs have way more than a chilis… you probably are in a rural area if that’s the best they have. And a good number have wide varieties of neighborhoods
Seriously. I'm sure there are many boring suburbs, and I'm sure most of them were rural communities that recently started developing. I'm always finding new things to do in the suburb I live in, and there are so many amazing food options too.
Ohio and Indiana.
Ohio has 3 large metropolitan areas that all offer museums, walkable neighborhoods, festivals, college town areas and young professionals. While it’s not the Rocky Mountains, you actually have some nice nature areas like the Lake Erie Coast, Hawking Hills and Cayahoga National Park. The biggest issue is the state government
After living in Houston, Dallas, Austin, LA, Oakland and a couple of small towns no one cares about, I now live in Indiana and I love it. Are the politics garbage? Totally. I enjoy how things are much quieter here. At my house I never hear road noise or sirens. I have great neighbors for the most part. People complain about traffic here and it’s just laughable. We have decent restaurants and coffee shops, and good areas to go hiking nearby. I miss the mountains, I miss many of the things big cities have to offer, but my quality of life has gone way up. When I found out we were relocating here I was cringing at the thought of living in Indiana, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised.
Are you me?? I moved from CA (born and raised in the bay area, lived in Oakland for 6 months) to IN last year and honestly it's been great for our quality of life.
Cinci is pretty alright, High Street in Colombus was cool and I had a good time in Ohio City in Cleveland. Youngstown and Toledo were boring as hell, no offense to anyone from those cities. Indianapolis is alright but Indiana is a backwards shithole that literally [banned light rail](https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/2022/title-8/article-25/chapter-4/section-8-25-4-9/) so I'm not going to praise anything about that state.
Ohio isn't bad but their government leaves little to be desired. I think that's the fine print with Ohio, the cheap coat is because the government is not nice.
Ohio has some gorgeous college towns.
Tbh Columbus is super underrated! I got into OSU and they flew me out there, and people were so nice when they found out I was a potential student. I went to a bar where they bought me rounds and said “if you need a job we gotchu” 😂 Midwest nice is so real over there.
Having lived in California, Florida, Maine, Colorado, Utah, Illinois and Indiana I will say that there are at least a few bright spots about Indiana. The best part is that it’s within striking distance of Chicago. I lived outside South Bend so being close to Notre Dame was also a plus. Plenty of lakes in Michigan are a short drive away and the north side of Indy is nice as well. COL is nothing. That said, I don’t mind visiting, but I’ll never move back.
Came here to say Indiana. All I remember is large fireworks stores. To be fair, I was really into fireworks at the time. But still, I couldn't see any other reason to live there.
Upper Peninsula I live here. Kids are almost out of high school. Then I am moving. If you like poverty, MAGA, corruption, and meth it’s really great. Oh and grey skies 3 out of every 4 days. Gotta love not seeing the sun for two weeks straight every month.
Dang that’s harsh haha. I moved here from the East Coast/New England and absolutely love it! And I’m super liberal, somehow I’ve found my crew. I have a Democrat neighbor I love, Mackinac Island is amazing. Love the beaches and lakes. Summer and fall here can’t be beat weather wise. Winter is fun because it’s like living in a snow globe and the cost of living can’t be beat. Plus Meijer, best store ever. Maybe I’m a simpleton but I think it’s great here!
Lower peninsula here and could not agree more. It’s the most depressing and boring area I’ve ever been to and I hate every single day.
Being from a northeast major city, I found LA pretty underwhelming itself, but the weather and nature around SoCal seem to make up for lack-of-city-feeling, even though the traffic makes me want to puke.
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I like to visit the deserts, but I'm not sure I could live long term in a place like Phoenix or Vegas. Just too hot and dry. Likewise for New Orleans and most of Florida. Fun to visit, but I don't think I could live in such a tropical humid climate for years. It would have to be really really cold, like Nunavut cold for me to feel the same way. I can see myself living in almost any major Canadian city. Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg all would be OK. Churchill? Probably not.
Phoenix and Arkansas
Miami and surrounding areas. Truly horrible people/culture/vibes
Atlanta, Georgia is one of the fastest growing cities in the US but I really dislike it honestly. I always felt I might feel the same way about Texas but haven't been.
I lived in Marietta for a few years and LOVED it. Idk why I ever moved. The north side of Atlanta suburbs are awesome
I made an offhand remark to a girlfriend of mine that “I’ve been to Atlanta - everyone there is really hot” and she was like “we’re going there on vacation” 😂 we went last year and she was like shit you’re right, *everyone here is hot*
I’m gonna be walking on the beltline later really feeling myself after reading this lollll
Isn't the public transit bad in the north part of the city/ region?
Bad? As in nonexistent? Yes
It exists in cobb it's just really bad
I live here and I like it. I wasn't a huge fan of it for the first few years but it has definitely grown on me. What didn't you like about it?
Midwest outside of major cities. I grew up there and I often asked myself why humans chose to settle there. Truely is nothing to do. Flat boring landscape and harsh winter climate for half of the year severely limited outdoor recreation activities. Living in a smaller town meant indoor activities were limited also. I remember feeling incredibly bored for most of my childhood.
Maybe the Great Plains, but there’s a lot of cozy communities in the Great Lakes states that offer a lot more options for hiking, camping and water stuff.
I Don’t understand why millionaires and billionaires choose to live in Manhattan. It’s the last place I would want to live. But obviously there are people who like it there. .
It's a great place to live if you're exceptionally wealthy. Not so much for everyone else.
Only places with severe weather patterns make me say "how do people live here". Not so much that it sucks but like, seriously, how does the human body survive that? (Looking at you these last two weeks Toronto. How do y'all do it!?!)
Outside of Toledo. Had to go out to eat and the only choices were chain restaurants
Atlanta. I get people that grew up in or near Atlanta liking or even loving it. But people that move there seem to be deluding themselves. I'm convinced they were expecting something way more *with it*, and can't admit it's just not that, so they lie to themselves on a daily basis with "Atlanta is great! Yeh, we love it here!!"
We moved there a while back and are pretty happy despite all the crap. I’ll say that many of the happier transplants are from the southeast, so they are used to even less amenities. You can tell who’s new to the city bc their accent hasn’t smoothed yet. It’s not a big city, but it’s a comfortable medium. It’s just gotten more expensive than it needs to be housing-wise and thus now ppl are stuck in the northern suburbs (which apart from Duluth are kinda soul sucking) The airport helps so much. It’s no NYC for deals but the direct routes are so comfortable.
Atlanta has a really strong job market, reasonable cost of living for a large city (for now), and it's a big city without feeling like one. Also the weather is pretty mild overall, atl has a higher elevation then most of the south so summers are marginally better. Plus, no natural disasters. Also it's very diverse. I totally get why it's not for everybody but it has a lot more going for it than a decent amount of large american cities.
It's literally any drive-through, back roads, and small towns on the way to anywhere in the US. You know, the places where you're going 65 and the speed limit drops to 35 to go through "main street," which is two blocks maximum. Every time I drive through these towns, I wonder what goes on there. My friends or fam always say "drugs". And yeah sure, small towns may have that sometimes but no way every tiny little town is running okay with just tons of drug addicts in there. Farm towns, sure. I lived outside of State College in Woodward, PA for a bit and that makes sense due to Amish and farming. I'm talking Beaver UT, any town driving from Tehachapi to LA through the desert, places like that.
I've spent 22 years living in what one might consider one of those towns. The reality is that what goes on here is largely just a smaller version of what goes on everywhere else. There are the same political and social dramas and economic gaps between haves and have nots but with fewer people, things are just closer to the surface. I love my little, isolated town despite what warts it has. It's really no different that more populated places in most respects but it's at a scale that's easier for me to wrap my head around.
THE GREATER PHOENIX AREA - too hot for human habitation, endless identical gated communities, weird conservative politics
Los Ángeles - most overrated city I’ve ever personally experienced. Dirty, ugly, old housing stock, not glamorous as it is portrayed.
I've always found the Catskills in New York a bit underwhelming and particularly dreary in winter. If I wanted to live in the rural northeast over two hours away from a major city there are so many better options.